ALIA Graphic Novels and Comics is intended to be a resource and network for library and information professionals who are responsible for, and interested in, comics and graphic novels.
Group interest A resource and network for library and information professionals who are responsible for, and interested in, comics and graphic novels.
Group category Special interest
State National
Contact Email
Iurgi Urrutia (Convenor)
An Information Services Librarian for Kingston Libraries, Victoria. My favourite part of the job is in collection management and the acquisition of graphic novels. I have a background in education and media studies, so I love to get involved in supporting the children and youth services team and teaching the dark alchemy of IT to patrons.
I eat books for breakfast and munch on comics and graphic novels for the rest of the day. I’ve also been known to write fiction and poetry in the dead of night. I believe that comics have multiple literacy super powers and that comic book readers read more than fiction readers. Thankfully, research backs up my belief.
Marissa King (Treasurer)
I am a teacher librarian that recently graduated with a Master of Information Management to add on to my GLAM skills. Though currently based in the Melbourne area, I'm originally from the U.S. and also spent time teaching English to public school students in Japan. My to-be-read pile is in 2.5 languages and multiple locations, and is on track to become The Thing That Ate Arkansas. In the interest of feeding my brain a balanced diet, these include graphic novels, manga, novels, and audiobooks. Fantasy, sci-fi, and YA titles take up the majority of that list, but sometimes something else will sneak in when I'm not looking. If I'm not reading, I might be watching anime, playing a video game, working on a yarn project, or cuddling with whichever rescue dog I'm currently fostering.
James Baker (Secretary & Collections and Resources Coordinator)
I’m a librarian at the Melbourne Athenaeum Library, Victoria’s oldest library, where I handle the cataloguing, digital presence, and graphic novels acquisitions. I also teach in the Diploma of Library and Information Services course at Swinburne University of Technology.
I enjoyed comics in my childhood, but this interest was strongly discouraged throughout high school and university so I have returned to graphic novels in adulthood with both nostalgia and fresh wonder at the form, as well as a determination to ensure that other teens and adults aren't made to feel embarrassed for their interest in graphic literature.